Narratives of a conflict: discursive disputes about tourism in Barcelona

Abstract

The article seeks to put in evidence terms and narratives that support the action of protagonists in the conflict surrounding the tourist activity in Barcelona, Spain. A vast discursive charge emerged from the conflict among the agents involved: business people, City Hall, social movements, and members of the Academy, producing their own lexicon composed of terms, such as over-tourism, tourist phobia, anti-tourism, and tourist action. Searching for meanings of expressive and metaphorical communication, representatives of the aforementioned segments were interviewed on-site. In addition, a survey of bibliographic and documentary sources was carried out to understand better the terminology used in the different and sometimes conflicting narratives created by the agents interviewed. The study showed an intense political and symbolic struggle among those involved, permeated with discursive resources in the search for legitimacy and power.